


Gone

by leonheart2012



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Keith (Voltron) Needs a Hug, M/M, Post season...something, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-07
Updated: 2019-05-07
Packaged: 2020-02-27 19:29:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18745600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leonheart2012/pseuds/leonheart2012
Summary: After watching that scene in an earlier season where Shiro's back and he's talking to Keith about how that one mission went, I decided that Keith really needed a damn hug, so I wrote him getting one because I have no self-control. Hope you all enjoy it.





	Gone

After Shiro and Keith had finished the conversation, and the older man had left had left, Kieth felt...almost hollow. So, he did what he’d been doing for the past few months whenever he felt this way; he went to see Lance.

“Lance,” he said, knocking lightly on the door, “please, I need to see you.”

The door opened, and Lance pulled him inside, quickly wrapping his arms around Keith and stroking his hair. “You did a good job today.” He said, without needing to be prompted. “You’re doing better than before. I know you don’t feel like you are, but...you’re learning to listen to your team, and you’re nowhere near as headstrong.” He pulled back and kissed Keith, just lightly, but it conveyed everything Kieth needed to know. “I’m proud of you.”

Keith took in a deep breath. “I’m just so...so stressed. I mean, am I leading to team, or aren’t I? I know I was okay with Shiro taking charge, and I was, but...if he’s going to give me command over the Black Lion, and therefore the team, shouldn’t he leave it to me to...to actually lead?”

“I know. But...I know I’m supposed to be on your side here, but...Keith, maybe...maybe you should talk to him, ask him...I don’t know...how he chooses the best path? It...I know you want to do what’s right by all of us, but maybe, you’re not quite there yet, you know? But I know you can be. It’ll just take...effort.”

Keith closed his eyes and sighed. “Can we not talk about this?”

“Of course. Take your shirt off. Lie back on the bed. I’ll make you feel better.”

Keith did as he was asked, stripping first out of his jacket and then his shirt, folding them neatly and putting them at the end of the bed before stretching out on top of the mattress. Ever since they’d lost Shiro, he’d been coming to Lance. The first time had been somewhat odd, and kind of awkward, but…

 

_Lance had heard him crying – that’s what he said, but Keith had been certain he’d been as quiet as a mouse. It was just luck that Keith and Lance were neighbours. He never would have heard if he was on the other side of the castle._

_He knocked lightly on the door and asked to come in. Keith wiped his eyes, took a drink of water and told him to come in. Lance looked small, standing in the doorway with hunched shoulders and an uncertain look on his face._

“ _What?” Keith had asked, growing annoyed. “Just spit it out.”_

“ _I...are you okay? I know you were close to Shiro. I just wanted to-”_

“ _Get out, Lance. I’m fine.”_

“ _But-”_

“ _Just go.”_

_Lance had stepped further into the room, and before Keith knew what was happening, he was wrapped in Lance’s arms. It took seconds before he started crying again. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been held like this – like it didn’t matter if he was holding it together or not, because the person holding him would take care of the pieces until he was okay again._

_It felt like hours before he stopped._

 

Lance knelt next to Keith on the mattress. “You comfortable?”

“Yeah.” He closed his eyes again as Lance kissed him, again using only the lightest of touches, moving quickly down to his neck, and then his chest, his ribs, his stomach.

 

_The hangar doors closed, and Keith slid from the cockpit of his lion, shoulders sagging. Lance was the only other person in the room with him._

“ _Where’s everyone else?”_

“ _Allura and Coran are on the bridge, giving Pidge and Hunk instructions on how to take down some Galra forces. They didn’t need me, and I wanted to stay and hear if you’d found anything, but I can see from the look on your face that you haven’t.” He stepped closer, eyes sad. “Are you alright?”_

_Keith sighed. “No.” He swallowed. “I miss him.”_

“ _We all do.”_

“ _But I...he asked me...if anything were to happen to him, he wanted me to be the one to lead the team. If he – if he’s dead...I’m not ready.”_

_Lance came even closer and placed his hand on Keith’s shoulder. “Yes, you are. You just have to...believe you are.”_

“ _Are you really okay with me leading the team?”_

_Lance took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. “If it’s you leading us, then yeah, I am. But let’s keep looking, right? We might still find him.”_

“ _Yeah. Thanks, Lance.”_

“ _No problem. Now come on, I know you’ve got to be hungry.”_

 

Keith stopped Lance just before he started dipping into his trousers.

“Lance, no.” He looked up, questioning, surprised. “Not tonight. Just...come up here. Let me kiss you.”

Lance obliged him, holding himself over Keith’s naked torso and kissing him deeply.

 

_Lance stepped into Keith’s room without even knocking, catching the darker haired boy with his shirt off. He squawked at Lance to get out, but he just laughed._

“ _Relax. Not like I’m interested. I like girls, remember? Anyway, I just wanted to see how you were doing.”_

“ _Since when did you become so curious about how I’m doing?”_

“ _Since...” He paused, thought for a moment, then shrugged. “Does it matter? I want...I just want to know you’re doing alright because...because you’re a part of the team, and...” He sighed. “Look, I don’t know._ Are _you okay?”_

_Keith sighed. “Not...really. We still haven’t found him. I go out every day, I can barely think about anything else. It’s like...I can’t breathe without him. I don’t know.”_

“ _Did you love him?”_

“ _Like a brother.”_

_There was a flicker of something on Lance’s face, but it was gone before Keith could identify what it was. “Have you...tried distracting yourself? Maybe if you...go for a swim or bake something with Hunk…?”_

“ _I...I don’t want to. It would feel like I’m abandoning him.”_

 _Lance’s voice lowered. “Even if he_ is _dead?”_

_Keith closed his eyes. “I don’t want to think about that.” He whispered._

_Lance’s arms wrapped around him again, but this time, Keith didn’t cry._

“ _Do you want me to try distracting you? Take your mind off things? I’ve been told I give really good massages.”_

 _Keith rolled his eyes, but just the tiniest glimpse of Lance’s old self was enough to make him smile, so he allowed Lance to give him a massage and, despite his suspicions, Lance was absolutely right; he_ did _give good massages. He never told him that, though._

 

The kisses had gotten deeper, but then trailed off, until Lance was tucked up against the wall, arm wrapped snug around Keith’s waist.

Keith sighed happily into the embrace, his breath curling hotly against Lance’s now bare chest. The darker skinned boy huffed in his sleep, shuffling a little.

 

_Another failed search, and Keith was feeling absolutely wretched. He skipped dinner, instead curling into a ball on his bed._

_A knock on his door, and then Lance was in his room, setting a bowl down on his bedside table and sitting on the edge of his mattress._

“ _Go away, Lance.”_

_In a silly voice, he said, “how do you know it’s me if you haven’t even looked? I don’t even know a Lance. I’m the King of Armin, a planet where all the chicks dig me.”_

_Despite himself, Keith snorted. “Yeah, and I’m President of Ambrosia, where all the fruit is fresh.”_

“ _Will you at least eat something?”_

_Keith sighed, but sat up and took the bowl from Lance’s hands. “Why are you here, Lance?”_

“ _What do you mean?”_

“ _Why...why are you taking care of me?”_

_Lance didn’t say anything for a long time. After what felt like an age, he took the bowl from Keith’s hands and set it down on the bedside table again. Then, he took a hold of Keith’s hand. “I...I don’t know why but...for the last few weeks, I’ve felt something...actually, it’s been happening for longer than that. I guess, since I met you, out in the wastes of Earth. I’ve gotten to know you, and...we’ve had our differences, and I’m sure we’ll continue to have disagreements, but...” He swallowed thickly, but Keith didn’t need him to say anything else._

_He leaned forward and kissed him, pulling him in close. Lance moaned softly, his eyes falling closed. It wasn’t long before Keith was on top of Lance, tongue pushing into his mouth, knees pressing against his sides. They slept together that night, and the few after it just to make sure that they were on the same page._

 

Keith turned over and tugged Lance’s arm tighter around himself. He remembered what happened when Shiro finally had found his way home.

 

_He found Lance already in his room, shoulders slumped._

“ _Lance?”_

“ _I guess...this is over, then? You have Shiro back. He’ll lead the team, you’ll be back in the Red Lion, and...well, Allura’s gotten so good with the Blue Lion. I...I won’t be on the team anymore. May as well...” He swallowed thickly. “May as well just go back to Earth, right?”_

_Keith came closer and tried to wrap his arms around Lance, but he batted him away. “Lance, come on. Don’t think like that. We still need you. And maybe...maybe I won’t take back the Red Lion. I’ve been thinking about getting into the ranks of the Blade. Shiro can have the Black Lion.”_

“ _But...then I wouldn’t...” He turned away from Keith, looking back out the window. “I guess it really is over, isn’t it? You don’t want to see me anymore?”_

“ _Lance, that isn’t what this is abo-”_

_Lance was already leaving the room. “Whatever, I...I don’t want to hear it.”_

_Keith went to the training room to clear his head, only to find Lance already there. He watched him training, watched the sweat running down his face, his body, pooling in certain parts…_

_Keith swallowed, his mouth suddenly flooded with saliva. “End the session.” He told the AI, and the robot Lance was battling retracted into the ceiling._

“ _What, Keith?”_

“ _Spar with me.” He held his own weapon in a fighting stance. “Let all your frustration out on me.”_

“ _Keith...” His expression darkened. “Fine.” He leapt at Keith, sword swinging in a wide arc, which Keith blocked easily._

_Within minutes, Lance was panting even harder. “No fair,” Lance whined, “you were well-rested when we started.”_

“ _Too bad.” Keith shot back, barrelling into him and knocking him over. He was on him in seconds, pinning his arms down and sitting on his waist. “Lance, please...”_

“ _Shut up. I don’t want to-”_

_Keith connected Lance’s hands above his head and held them down with just one of his own while he removed Lance’s helmet. Once it was gone, he crashed their lips together, leaving Lance’s protests unsaid._

_When he finally pulled back, Keith cupped Lance’s face. “I love you. I’m sorry we won’t get to see each other much if I do go with the Blades, but...after the war is over, and it_ will _end, I’ll...we’ll be together then. I promise.”_

_Lance shifted their positions, so he was on top. He looked sceptical. “So...you’re not...you really want to...”_

“ _Lance, how could I not love you?” He pulled him down for another kiss. “You’re such an idiot.”_

“ _Hey!”_

 

Keith snuggled in closer to Lance's chest, closing his eyes and breathing in the scent that was all Lance. There was a hint of spice that originated from somewhere, probably the kitchens, if he'd been talking with Hunk, along with the slight musk that made him smell undeniably masculine. The real treasure was the tiniest whiffs of watermelon - sweet and watery - that lay underneath every other scent, but existed as the core of what Lance was.

"I love you." He whispered against his skin, right before closing his eyes.


End file.
